BEIJING -- After proposing the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping has been promoting high-quality cooperation of mutual benefits under the initiative.

As of the end of January, a total of 171 countries and international organizations have signed 205 cooperation agreements with China on the joint construction of the Belt and Road.

April 20, 2021

In his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2021 via video, Xi said that the BRI is a public road open to all, and all interested countries are welcome aboard to take part in the cooperation and share in its benefits.

Going forward, China will continue to work with other parties in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, said Xi, adding that efforts will be made to build a closer partnership for health cooperation, connectivity, green development, and openness and inclusiveness.

China will work with all sides to promote "hard connectivity" of infrastructure and "soft connectivity" of rules and standards, ensure unimpeded channels for trade and investment cooperation, and actively develop Silk Road e-commerce, Xi said.

June 18, 2020

In a written message sent to the High-level Video Conference on Belt and Road International Cooperation, Xi said China will work with its partners to develop the Belt and Road into a model of cooperation for meeting challenges through unity.

The Belt and Road will also be a model of health for protecting people's safety and well-being, a model of recovery for restoring economic and social activity, and a model of growth for unlocking development potential, Xi said.

"Be it in taming the virus or in achieving economic recovery, we cannot succeed without solidarity, cooperation, and multilateralism. The right approach to tackling global crises and realizing long-term development is through greater connectivity, openness, and inclusiveness," he said.

"This is where Belt and Road international cooperation can make a big difference," he said.

April 27, 2019

At the leaders' roundtable meeting of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, Xi called for joint efforts of all parties to promote high-quality development of the Belt and Road.

He called on all parties to jointly push forward intensive and meticulous implementation, advance the joint building of the Belt and Road, and deliver greater benefits to the people of all countries.

Xi also stressed joint efforts to strengthen cooperation mechanisms and forge partnership on connectivity, calling for encouraging the full participation of more countries and businesses in expanding common interests.

Nov 17, 2018

In a speech titled "Harnessing Opportunities of Our Times To Jointly Pursue Prosperity in the Asia-Pacific" at the 26th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting, Xi said thanks to five years of joint efforts, cooperation under the BRI has entered a new phase of full implementation.

China will work with all countries involved under the principle of consultation and collaboration for shared benefits to pursue the BRI against high standards so that it will deliver quality outcomes and create even greater development opportunities for the people in the Asia-Pacific and beyond, he said.

May 15, 2017

At the Leaders Roundtable of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, Xi called on global leaders to push for win-win outcomes, enhance policy coordination and deepen practical cooperation in the implementation of the BRI.

Xi called on countries to build partnerships, stay open in cooperation and resolve differences through dialogue.

"Geese can fly through wind and rain for a long time because they fly in flocks," Xi said, driving home the point of forging partnerships against all odds.

Facts speak louder than words. Bucking a global COVID-19-driven downturn, China's non-financial direct investment into countries along the Belt and Road jumped 18.3 percent year on year to 17.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2020.

Trade is also thriving along the ancient but exuberant pathway, which has helped transport valuable medical supplies to those in urgent need amid COVID-19.

In the first quarter of this year, the China-Europe freight train services recorded 3,398 journeys, surging 75 percent year on year. A total of 89,000 tonnes of anti-pandemic supplies had been transported across continents via the services by late March.

China is also working with all willing participants to build the BRI into a pathway to poverty alleviation and growth. According to a report from the World Bank, Belt and Road projects could by 2030 help lift 7.6 million people out of extreme poverty and 32 million people out of moderate poverty across the world.

With more partners jumping on board for a mutually beneficial journey, there is more to expect in the future: Countries can work together to fight COVID-19, economic slowdowns, poverty, climate change and other common challenges, regardless of geographical or ideological boundaries.